Chapter 534: Thanks to Me (66,000-character update!)

The latest episode of "Young Days" has aired.

This is the final episode of the Venice International Film Festival arc, with the appreciation banquet hosted by Lu Yan He becoming the main content of this episode.

In this episode, Lu Yan He finally becomes the protagonist; the entire episode revolves around Lu Yan He preparing for this banquet, weaving in the content of others as it slowly unfolds.

Preparing for a banquet always leads to all sorts of problems.

But these problems are rarely exposed to the public, because in most cases, people don't have the opportunity to host such flashy, large-scale banquets.

In the show, one of Lu Yan He's quotes went viral.

"Over the past few years, I've had a realization—it might not be entirely correct, but it is now my code of conduct: when hosting others, if you've already spent fifty, don't be stingy about spending another hundred."

This statement sparked some controversy, but even more discussion.

Discussion about worldly wisdom, discussion about social rules.

In the comment sections of his various social media platforms, Lu Yan He saw some fans lamenting that the idol who was once so youthful and pure now also possessed a sense of "social cynicism."

Lu Yan He was stunned.

Social cynicism?

Lu Yan He thought for a moment and then started to laugh.

Fine.

People change no matter what.

How could one stay in one place forever without undergoing any changes?

Lu Yan He exited his social media interface and was just about to turn off his phone when a message suddenly came in.

Miao Yue had sent him the first draft of the drama version of "Rouge."

She said: Finally finished writing it. I haven't given it to anyone else yet; I want to hear your opinion first.

Lu Yan He: Okay.

He opened the "Rouge" electronic document and saw it was over 400,000 characters, totaling twenty-six episodes.

Lu Yan He forwarded it to Wang Biao, asking him to print it out as a manuscript for him.

There were too many words; reading it on a phone was quite strenuous.

The first draft of the "Rouge" drama script was finally out.

Previously, while Miao Yue was writing this script, she had been communicating with him and staying in touch.

Lu Yan He knew Miao Yue's idea for creating this script—

Building on the foundation of the film version, she expanded on many women's stories within the brothel where Ruhu lived, enriching the details of that era's background.

In general, the main plotline of the story hadn't changed, but it had been greatly enriched and filled out. For example, Ruhu's life in the brothel was only touched upon lightly in the film, which mainly focused on the scenes between her and Master Twelve. In reality, however, Master Twelve was absent for the vast majority of the time Ruhu spent in the brothel. Under such circumstances, what was her life like? Besides her, what stories did the various women in the brothels of that era have?

Likewise, Miao Yue also worked on Master Twelve's extended family, adding source-like descriptions to Master Twelve's deep affection, cowardice, and selfishness, focusing on depicting the infighting, mutual sabotage, and selfish coldness within such a large mansion. Growing up in such an environment, Master Twelve both clung to the love and warmth Ruhu gave him and laid the groundwork for why he ultimately did not go to the yellow springs with Ruhu.

At the same time, she also expanded on the couple in the modern background, integrating modern views on marriage and love to create a contrast between the past and the present. Against the backdrop of grand history, the love between Ruhu and Master Twelve was tragic; modern men and women were similarly entangled by trivial domestic matters. While helping Ruhu find Master Twelve, they also had to face pressure from their families and examine the love between themselves.

Lu Yan He felt that Miao Yue's idea was a very good approach for the adaptation of "Rouge."

Miao Yue didn't want to shoot another art piece; instead, she used storytelling to enrich the story, filling out the film version's impressionism into the drama version's realism.

Lu Yan He had been looking forward to the script Miao Yue was writing.

A story like "Rouge" was just right for someone of Miao Yue's age to write. Ultimately, it wasn't a particularly heavy story, and with Miao Yue at the helm, it wouldn't be pretentiously classic, nor would it be written as over-the-top melodrama.

However, finding actors for the drama version of "Rouge" was quite a headache.

In any case, the two roles of Master Twelve and Ruhu were very difficult to play. Especially Ruhu, with Chen Bige's brilliant performance as a benchmark.

These two roles would inevitably require established actors to hold the stage. Newcomers couldn't play these roles; they wouldn't be able to carry them.

Of course, it wasn't Lu Yan He's place to be overly anxious here.

After all, this drama was being produced by Linghe Films.

After hearing from Lu Yan He that the first draft of the "Rouge" drama script was out, Chen Bige also wanted to see it.

She had always said that "Rouge" was the best film script she had received in the past two years. In fact, this film also helped her win Best Actress at the Hexi Film Festival, and by winning the crown of Best Actress at one of the four major international film festivals, she stood in the top tier of Chinese actresses.

She also hoped that adapting such a story into a TV series wouldn't ruin it.

After checking with Miao Yue, Lu Yan He also made a copy for Chen Bige.

The two of them were both at the filming site of "Seventeen Layers," reading the "Rouge" drama script.

The fact that they were both holding thick scripts and reading them simultaneously made many people on the "Seventeen Layers" set curious about what they were looking at.

Li Yuefeng was the first to ask Lu Yan He: "What script are you two reading? Are you and Sister Bige going to collaborate again?"

Only then did Lu Yan He explain what the script was.

Once Li Yuefeng heard it was the drama script for "Rouge," his mind started racing.

"Has the male lead been decided? If not, let me play it." He was not at all polite, asking for it right away.

Lu Yan He said: "It hasn't been decided yet, but for one thing, I'm not the one in charge of this drama; it's Linghe Films. They bought the rights, and Miao Yue wrote the script and asked me to help look at it. For another, even if I were in charge, you know, auditions are still necessary. We have to find the most suitable actors."

Li Yuefeng playing Master Twelve?

It wasn't that Lu Yan He looked down on Li Yuefeng, but he felt Li Yuefeng was too unsuitable.

His image lacked that "young master" temperament—that style of being pampered from childhood and appearing slightly indecisive at first glance.

Li Yuefeng was actually the type for the sunny, cheerful school hunk route.

He was more suited for the path of a male lead in a film like "Those Years, We Chased After That Girl."

When Lu Yan He said this, Li Yuefeng looked at him with some frustration.

"You don't trust me that much?"

"Do you want to hear the truth?" Lu Yan He asked.

Li Yuefeng nodded. "Go ahead."

"I don't think you're suitable for the role of Master Twelve," Lu Yan He said bluntly.

Li Yuefeng: "..."

"Last time with 'Squid Game,' you also made me audition." Li Yuefeng's tone carried some complaints.

"Actually, if you had auditioned for 'Squid Game' last time, you would have had a very high chance of getting the role," Lu Yan He also said frankly. "The only hesitation I had about you last time was that you were acting in 'Seventeen Layers,' and acting in another project of the same type might make the audience feel they couldn't distinguish between them. Aside from that, I felt you were very suitable for the role of Liu Zefan in every other aspect."

Li Yuefeng looked at Lu Yan He in disbelief. "Then why did you make me audition?!"

"I said, almost every role requires an audition, makeup, styling, and a final look before it can be decided," Lu Yan He said. "Even if I think you're suitable, that step is still necessary."

Li Yuefeng: "Damn, did I just miss out on a role that could have made me globally famous?"

The young police officer played by Liu Zefan was indeed quite popular, especially in various Asian countries.

Lu Yan He said: "You don't need to think about it that way. It's just one play, one role. There will be many more plays and many more roles in the future. Li Yuefeng, I truly treat you as a friend, which is why I'm telling you this. Don't always be afraid of auditions. In fact, if the production team doesn't require an audition, you should proactively ask to audition, do a makeup test, and try a scene. Find people who will tell you the truth and listen to their opinions. Don't be afraid that you'll discover you're not suitable for the role because of it. If you can discover that before filming starts, that's a great thing. Every play has to be tested in front of the audience. If you can discover your incompatibility with a role in advance, you avoid a performance that might have failed."

What Lu Yan He said here completely conflicted with Li Yuefeng's understanding of acting.

Li Yuefeng hesitated and didn't speak.

Lu Yan He didn't say anything more.

In short, Li Yuefeng wanting to act in his plays was fine. Lu Yan He even had a preference for him now, without the rejection he felt after their first collaboration on "Seventeen Layers" (he had to admit that at first, he didn't care for Li Yuefeng because he felt he was too utilitarian), but auditions and screen tests were indispensable steps. No matter the relationship, this step had to be taken.

There were only three people who hadn't gone through this step with him: Chen Bige, Jiang Yuqian, and Jiang Jun. Even Huang Kai had gone through proper auditions and makeup tests. The reason those three didn't have to go through this step was that Lu Yan He had thought about finding them to act before tailoring (finding) the script for them.

Perhaps in the future, if Lu Yan He felt Li Yuefeng really needed such a script to have a breakthrough, Lu Yan He would write one for him, but not now.

Lu Yan He didn't know if his refusal would make Li Yuefeng distance himself from him.

He hoped Li Yuefeng would truly understand one thing: a forced fit is a twisted melon that is never sweet.

"This script is well-written, but does the structure need to be smoothed out?" After finishing the script Miao Yue wrote, Chen Bige said: "I think every section is great content, but put together, it feels a bit messy and not well-connected. Especially from episode seven to eleven, almost all the content is used to talk about the messy affairs in Master Twelve's family. Although it's written brilliantly, Ruhu's storyline and the storyline of the two modern people haven't advanced at all; they've disappeared. As a drama, it still needs some adjustments, right?"

Lu Yan He nodded and said: "I have the same feeling about this part. I can understand why Miao Yue wanted to write it this way instead of having multiple lines running in parallel. She probably hoped to clear up all the things in Master Twelve's family in one go. She used a particularly risky writing method. Master Twelve's family is quite large, and to sort out their character relationships and explain their family history within a few episodes, if she didn't focus on writing it, the audience might not remember it."

"Then why not cut some characters?" Chen Bige said. "This is the second point I want to make. I can understand why she wanted to enrich Master Twelve's family situation, but under the entire main plot, if it doesn't serve to create obstacles for the love between Master Twelve and Ruhu, or explain why Master Twelve is the way he is, I think it should all be deleted. If Miao Yue really wants to write the story of this big family, she can take this chapter out separately and shoot a spin-off later. Putting it in the main film really affects the overall rhythm."

Lu Yan He nodded.

Top-tier actors like Chen Bige have seen too many scripts and films. Their eyes are already the most discerning; they know very clearly what is good and what is bad. Moreover, Lu Yan He hadn't expected Chen Bige to make so many suggestions so sincerely.

Lu Yan He summarized Chen Bige's opinions and his own and sent them to Miao Yue.

Miao Yue's first reaction was: Ah, as expected, you also think it's too bloated. I also felt that Master Twelve's family story was written too much and too detailed. I always wanted to avoid making every character a caricature, but in reality, I wrote it like a small spin-off.

Lu Yan He: I can feel that you were trying to achieve the effect of writing an era through a family, like in "Dream of the Red Chamber," but it really feels a bit abrupt in the main film. I think Chen Bige's opinion makes a lot of sense. You've already written it in such detail that it wouldn't be appropriate to discard it all. Perhaps you could shoot a spin-off volume, film it together, and then broadcast it separately as an independent spin-off.

Miao Yue: Okay, I'll think about it, and I'll also communicate with Linghe Films.

Lu Yan He: Hmm.

Any creator with a bit of pursuit will have ambition.

Everyone knows that they might not reach the tail end of "Dream of the Red Chamber" in their lifetime, but having been influenced by these classic literary works since childhood, it's inevitable that their work will follow their shadows during the creative process, because their literary views, aesthetic views, and even the techniques of creating a work are all influenced by them.

No story about a family can avoid being influenced by "Dream of the Red Chamber."

Just as no story about power struggles can say it can escape the influence of "Romance of the Three Kingdoms."

Miao Yue's writing of Master Twelve's family clearly shows the traces of the influence of "Dream of the Red Chamber." To compare, one wouldn't dare, but it is indeed good. The various characters are all stained with the decay of that era. Every person carries the sunset's afterglow.

Lu Yan He even felt that this was the best part of Miao Yue's entire script, the place where the plot and characters were the most fluid, as if written in one go.

There is indeed a difference between women and men.

If Lu Yan He were to write such a family drama, it would be hard for him to imagine being able to write it like Miao Yue, pouring a sense of compassion into every character as he watched them head toward the end of their era.

Two days later, Li Yuefeng came to find Lu Yan He.

"I've thought about what you said to me over the past two days," Li Yuefeng said to Lu Yan He seriously. "Although you said I'm not suitable for the role of Master Twelve, I still want to audition. Since you told me that auditioning is such a good process, I want to see, after I audition, where exactly I'm unsuitable in your eyes, and how I compare to others."

Lu Yan He didn't expect Li Yuefeng to come with his knives sharpened, as if his competitive spirit had been ignited.

He nodded and said: "Fine, then I'll tell Linghe Films that you're interested in this role. I don't know if they'll arrange an audition, but I will definitely strongly suggest that they organize one. Although it's very likely that they'll just decide on you once they know you're willing to act—Li Yuefeng, I'm not lying to you, I don't think you're suitable for this role."

"You don't need to repeat the same thing twice," Li Yuefeng waved his hand at Lu Yan He with disdain. "It's only because I'm a broad-minded person that I don't hold it against you. If it were someone else, they would have been angry with you long ago."

Lu Yan He: "..."

"This Li Yuefeng, why is he so funny when he talks?"

On the phone, Chen Siqi laughed.

Lu Yan He: "After knowing him for a long time, I've discovered he's actually quite interesting."

"I understand what you're saying," Chen Siqi said. "Because he's very direct, even if he's sometimes very realistic and mercenary, you still think he's great."

"Yes."

"Did you see it? You have fans in your comment section saying they feel you've also become mercenary," Chen Siqi said, referring to the impact brought by the "Young Days" program.

Lu Yan He said with a smile: "I saw it. It's quite good. If it can let everyone see that I've changed and my impression is no longer stuck in the past, that's a pretty good thing."

"Many fans are feeling very disappointed, thinking you're no longer the Lu Yan He they liked."

"Well, I can't be eighteen forever," Lu Yan He said.

Chen Siqi: "Don't you plan to go and explain it to everyone?"

"I don't want to explain," Lu Yan He said. "I don't want to have to stand up and explain every time I cause some controversy. There's nothing to it, so how am I supposed to explain to them that people grow and change? And how am I supposed to explain that my behavior isn't mercenary? Things like this, anyway, the truth can't be fake, and the fake can't be true. If I've really become mercenary in their eyes, explaining won't help."

"I feel like you're a bit resistant to your fans now."

"I can't say I'm resistant to my fans, but I admit that I don't really want to treat their evaluations of me seriously right now," Lu Yan He said. "At first, I really cared. I can't say I don't care now, but I can't care about every word they say. Because I can't maintain a particularly good state every day, and I can't say that everything I do or say is perfect. There are bound to be times when it's not so good, and then it's inevitable that people will say, 'Ah, why are you like this?' 'Ah, this isn't your level.' 'Ah, why do I feel like you're being a bit perfunctory with us?' I really often see such comments in the comment section, and later, I really could only turn a blind eye to maintain my mental stability."

After saying this, Lu Yan He was stunned.

"Why did I suddenly tell you all this?"

He rarely told Chen Siqi these things before.

Chen Siqi laughed and said: "It's quite good. You telling me these things—I rarely heard you say them before."

Lu Yan He didn't want to bring these negative things to Chen Siqi before.

Chen Siqi: "Knowing that your emotions aren't that stable either, I feel relieved."

"Ah?"

What kind of logic is that?

Don't girls usually say they like boys whose emotions are a bit more stable?

Chen Siqi, however, didn't plan to explain.

She said: "After you finish filming 'Seventeen Layers,' you should be able to rest for a while, right?"

"Yes," Lu Yan He said. "I can rest for about a month, and then I'll start filming 'Friends'."

"I need to go to the United Kingdom to talk to the publishers there about the English version's publication. We've only communicated by email before. Let's just go there together for a vacation," Chen Siqi said. "I'm too tired lately; I want to rest."

Lu Yan He: "Fine, I'll ask Sister Ziyan to see if there are any arrangements later and see what time is suitable."

"Hmm."

After finishing the call, Lu Yan He returned to the studio.

He saw Song Li once again.

This was his final shoot for this play.

This time, even Lian Bei was specifically giving him one-on-one acting guidance.

Although Lian Bei was really annoying, he still had to consider Song Li's status; he couldn't cut all his shots, so he still had to leave a few usable shots for the final film.

Therefore, Lian Bei painstakingly explained the upcoming shots to Song Li.

Lu Yan He noticed that as soon as he appeared, Song Li seemed to become even more nervous.

He now knew what was going on.

Therefore, Lu Yan He silently left the filming site again.

He guessed that if he weren't there, Song Li might be able to reduce his nervousness a bit.

Lu Yan He didn't stay on the set and kept staying in his lounge.

After about an hour, there was a sudden knock on the door.

Lu Yan He said "Please come in" and stood up, thinking it was a staff member coming to remind him it was his turn to shoot.

To his surprise, the person who knocked and entered was Song Li.

"Teacher Lu." Song Li stood at the door, looking at him nervously.

Lu Yan He looked at him in surprise, then immediately reacted to his intention, smiled, nodded, and said: "Hello, Song Li."

Song Li was stunned.

He asked in surprise: "Do you know me?"

Lu Yan He nodded and said: "Of course."

Song Li scratched his head awkwardly and said: "It's because my acting is too poor and I've delayed the crew's progress. I'm really sorry."

He thought this was the reason he was remembered by Lu Yan He.

Lu Yan He didn't explain much.

"Today is your last shoot, right?"

Song Li nodded and said: "After filming today, I'll be leaving. I... I wanted to say hello to you before I left. I... I wanted to come to the crew to experience it because of you. Of course, now I've discovered that I'm not suitable, and I won't be acting anymore in the future."

He said with some embarrassment.

Lu Yan He nodded.

"You... then what do you plan to do in the future?"

Song Li thought for a moment and said: "My family helped me contact a director, letting me go to his company to learn first. Although my acting is terrible, I still really like this industry, and I want to continue working in this industry."

"Good," Lu Yan He started to laugh. "It's a good thing this filming experience didn't make you feel disgusted with film and television."

"How could it? I watched you all act on set several times and was stunned," Song Li said. "It's just that I'm not good enough myself."

"But I know you've always wanted to do this well," Lu Yan He said. "Let's add each other as friends."

"Ah?" Song Li looked at Lu Yan He in surprise, not expecting Lu Yan He to take the initiative to add him as a friend.

Lu Yan He said: "Actually, I knew why you came to this crew before, and I thought about whether I should take the initiative to talk to you, but I was worried it would make you feel even more uncomfortable, so I kept things as they were. I don't know what I can do for you, but I'm very lucky that someone has developed an interest in this industry because of me and came to work in it. So, if you need me in the future, you can find me anytime."

Song Li looked at Lu Yan He in shock, unable to recover for a long while.

"Are... are you really this nice?"

Lu Yan He smiled and shrugged his shoulders. "It's alright, not that nice, just nice within my power."

Song Li added Lu Yan He as a friend in a daze.

After the knock on the door, the direction of things completely exceeded Song Li's expectations and plans.

Lu Yan He nodded at Song Li.

"The next scene should be mine; I need to prepare," Lu Yan He said. "Happy wrap."

Song Li came back to his senses and nodded. "Thank you."

This was the first time he had heard someone say this to him.

Recommended old book: "I Became a Scandalous Heroine Overnight" ===== CHAPTER 535 =====